November 4, 2021 – Brought to the Balkans by the Ottomans, Backgammon has a long history in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia. Returning after a one year absence, the 2021 Zagreb Backgammon Open is the latest evidence of the game's enduring appeal.

Think of a game or a sport and you'll be able to find it in Zagreb. Really.

Golf? Zagreb has Croatia's best course. Fencing? Surprisingly, at least two separate clubs/schools. Tabletop and board games? There are no less than two venues dedicated specifically for these pastimes, a further two cafes where they're a prominent part of the offer and a sizeable monthly event.

Did you know that Zagreb is just about the only European capital with a winter snow ski slope within 30 minutes of the city centre?

Of all the sports, games and competition available in the Croatian capital, Backgammon is one of the least widely known. Certainly, its followers and participants are much fewer in number than most games. Small in number they may be, but they are a dedicated collective.

So, it is to their joy – and that of the wider, regional Backgammon scene – that the 2021 Zagreb Backgammon Open returns to the Croatian capital this December. The event did not take place in 2020, spoiling a previously uninterrupted 11-year annual occurrence. But, the international tournament - and premier annual event within the nationwide Croatian Backgammon Tour - is back and bigger than ever in 2021.

2021 Zagreb Backgammon Open

© Grand Casino Admiral

The 2021 Zagreb Backgammon Open will take place at the Grand Casino Admiral at the Admiral Hotel, Vrbani, Zagreb on 10th, 11th and 12th December. Spread across 3000 square metres and fashioned very much in the style of a Las Vegas casino, Grand Casino Admiral is the largest casino in Croatia.

© Grand Casino Admiral

Jackpot tournament games will begin on the first day of the event, with the main tournament opening on the second. Finals will be held on the third day with side events and games taking place on all days.

© Grand Casino Admiral

You can register to attend by mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with more information available from organisers, the Croatian Backgammon Federation, here.

History of Backgammon in Croatia and the Balkans

Men of the Ottoman Empire, playing Backgammon in modern-day Turkey c. 1900  © Public domain

Backgammon is one of the world's oldest board games. The game's origins can be traced back some 5000 years to the middle east. However, there are many very similar variants of the game found throughout the Levant and some are thought to be even older.

Although dictated by the roll of dice, Backgammon is a game of skill, experience and strategy as well as luck. It's true to say that, no matter how good a player you are, it's always possible that the right roll of the dice can enable an opponent to beat you in a single game. However, it is also true to say that more experienced players consistently win over opponents within a series of games.

The definition of Backgammon as a game of strategy and skill was put to the test in a 1982 American court case, In the case, the State argued that Backgammon is a game of chance and it was, therefore, subject to Oregon's stringent gambling laws. They were unsuccessful. The judge concluded that Backgammon is a game of skill and tournaments of the game were permitted not under the restrictions assigned to gambling.

It is likely that Backgammon was brought to the Balkans by the Ottomans. Certainly, the game is more popular in Balkan regions conquered and occupied by the Ottomans. It is not uncommon to see the game being played outside some bars in major cities of Serbia and Bosnia.

Backgammon Tavla Club Zagreb

In Croatia, the first Backgammon club formed was that of Backgammon Tavla klub Zagreb (here), who organised the first international Zagreb Backgammon Open in 2009. A further seven Croatian cities have Backgammon clubs – Rijeka, Split, Bol – Brac, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Šibenik and Pula. They are all members of the Croatian Backgammon Federation and annual tournaments take place in each of the participating cities.

Unlike other competitions, enthusiasts of Backgammon are famous for friendly cross-border support of neighbouring societies and events. Croatian Backgammon players participate in international annual tournaments held in Belgrade and Novi Pazar, Serbia and in Neum, Bosnia.

Finding a high-quality Backgammon set in Zagreb or Croatia is not easy. Certainly, it's much more difficult than in Serbia or Bosnia. For many years, Croatian enthusiasts preferred to order handmade sets from one master Backgammon set maker in Bosnia. Sadly, that master - Mr. Hasan Lonić of Tavla klub Ajna, Bihać, passed away two years ago.

A Backgammon set made by Hasan Lonić of Tavla klub Ajna, Bihać

November 2, 2021 - The Korea-Croatia Business Forum 2021 will be held on November 4, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. at the Hotel Westin in Zagreb.

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Zagreb in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Korean Business Center Zagreb (KOTRA), Croatian-Korean Business Club, the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia to the Republic of Korea, and the Korean-Croatian Business Innovation Council.

The Forum has been held annually in Zagreb since 2013, with the aim of further promoting business partnerships between Korea and Croatia, covering various topics such as tourism, cosmetics, and public procurement.

With the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Croatia in 2022, this year's Forum includes a range of presentations on a diverse array of fields of mutual interest such as infrastructure projects, and tourism, under the theme of “Looking to the Future: Strengthening Business Partnerships and Cooperation.”  Many Korean and Croatian companies and organizations are participating at the forum, including the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies (UHPA), Korean Association of Travel Agents (KATA), and the Doosan Heavy Industries & Constructions Co., Ltd.

The Forum will start at 09:00 with registration which will be followed by the presentation sessions and the signing ceremony for MOU between KATA, UPA in CCE, and UHPA from 09:30 until 12:20.  Afterward, there will be a networking luncheon until 14:00, and the Forum will end with a 1-on-1 business meeting from 14:00 until 16:30.

For any inquiries, comments, or questions, we kindly ask you to contact the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Zagreb at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone 01/4821-282.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

November 1, 2021 - All Saints' Day 2021 - a look at how Croatia honors all Catholic saints on November 1. 

Today is All Saints' Day, a holiday where the Catholic Church celebrates all the canonized, as well as the saints who have achieved the ideal of the Christian life and have not been canonized, reports Jutarnji List.

All Saints' Day is traditionally celebrated on November 1, a national holiday in the Republic of Croatia.

The church liturgy emphasizes that the center of the feast of All Saints is not death but life. God calls all people of all nations and all times into the eternal communion of his love. Christ is the redeemer of all men, and God calls them all to be holy.

Zagreb today | Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL

The worship of the tombs of the saints was known in Judaism, and then two tombs were important: the prophet Isaiah near the pond of Siloam and Zechariah in the Kidron Valley.

With Christianity, the day of death began to be called the day of heavenly birth, which they especially applied to the dates of the deaths of their martyrs. Their worship developed as early as the 2nd century.

Christians first celebrated the martyrs in particular, and over time ascetics, consecrated virgins, and bishops were highlighted as special testimonies of the faith. But, as it is understood today, the notion of saints and canonization can be spoken of only from the 10th century. The first official canonization took place in 993, during the reign of Pope John XV, and the first canonized saint was St. Ulrich.

Zagreb today | Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL

According to the Second Vatican Council, the veneration of saints stems from the lasting connection between the earthly and heavenly Churches - members of each other, albeit in different degrees and ways, share the same love for God and neighbor, and sing the same song of praise to their God.

All Souls Day is celebrated every year on November 2, when we remember all our deceased. On that day, visits to graves and cemeteries are a sign of attention and faith. On that day, people pray for the souls of their dear deceased, light candles on their graves, and attend Holy Mass, thus connecting with their prayers and begging the mercy of God to cleanse them as soon as possible of all weaknesses and to bring them "where every tear disappears from the eye."

All Souls Day, or the Day of the Dead, expresses hope and faith in the afterlife.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

October 31, 2021 - Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador number 5 has arrived, as Singaporean Rax Suen takes up residence in the Croatian capital. 

It is a measure of how this new breed of remote worker is a little different to my generation when November's Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Rax Suen explained one of the reasons he had applied for the position.

"It was on my way home," Rax explained at last night's meetup at Canopy by Hilton. 

'Home' being Singapore, and his starting point being Buenos Aires. It is all about perspective, I guess... 

Rax is the fifth ambassador in the 6-month program, and the first from Asia. So far, ambassadors have come from the USA (with partner from Zimbabwe), Israel, and two from South Africa. The project, an extension of the award-winning Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, is a collaboration between Zagreb Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, Doma Zagreb Aparthotel, and Total Croatia News. 

Rax arrived last night from Split and was immediately put to work, introducing himself at the farewell event of this month's ambassador, Andrae Smith from South Africa, at a travel pitch and meet up event at Canopy. 

Among other things, Rax runs Nomads Unveiled, which he describes as follows:

This is a resource platform where I share and collate travel and remote working/business tips in the pursuit of geographical, financial and emotional freedom. For over a decade, I have traveled to over 50 countries - from a budget backpacker to a business traveler, expat and then a digital nomad. You can find insights and perspectives from myself and other world travelers that will hopefully help inspire your journey of discovery.

"The world is larger than one can fathom, the world is larger than just the geographical aspects of it." -Rax

You can see Rax's application video for the program above, as well as an arrival interview for TCN last night during the Zagreb meetup.

If you would like to connect with Rax while he is in Zagreb, or follow him on social media, you can do so here.

For more news and views about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 31, 2021 - A diplomatic handover last night, as outgoing Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Andrae Smith handed over the role to Rax Suen of Singapore at Canopy by Hilton. 

An entertaining evening of networking and travel stories at Canpy by Hilton in Zagreb last night, as October's Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Andrae Smith hosted an evening of scary and funny travel stories as she said farewell to Zagreb after a month in the role. 

The ambassador program is a continuation of the award-winning Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, where one ambassador spends a calendar month in the Croatian capital, working to develop the city's digital nomad strategy. The project is a collaboraiton beetween Zagreb Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, Doma Zagreb Aparthotel, and Total Croatia News.  

(Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic, Andrae Smith, Rax Suen, and TCN's Paul Bradbury at last night's event at Canopy by Hilton in Zagreb). 

Last night's event was also an opportunity to meet the next ambassador. Rax Suen jetted in from Argentina and will take up residence at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel tomorrow. 

Both contributed to the event with their scary, funny and embarrassing stories, and I think it is fair to say that Andrae's account of answering the call of nature in the Australian bush will live long in the memory of all those who heard it. 

Andrae took some time out to share her thoughts on the month in Zagreb with TCN in the video below.

It appears that we will be welcoming her back soon, as she has decided to add Croatia to the list of destinations where she offers her tailor-made digital nomad retreats. You can learn more on her Work Wanderers website.

We will be publishing the welcome interview with Rax shortly. 

For more news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

October 29, 2021 - There will be 50 Zagreb Airport winter flights in the 2021/2022 schedule, including 45 international flights! 

Index.hr reports that Zagreb International Airport (MZLZ) will be connected to 50 destinations, five in domestic and 45 in international traffic, in the 2021/2022 winter flight schedule, which starts this weekend, Zagreb Airport announced on Friday.

Croatia Airlines announced that in the 2021/2022 winter flight schedule, it connects Zagreb with four destinations in domestic traffic: Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, and Zadar and with 13 international destinations, namely: Amsterdam, Vienna, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, London, Munich, Paris, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Zurich.

From December 16, Eurowings plans to start flying on the Zagreb-Prague route.

Other airlines that operate regularly in Zagreb this winter are Air France to Paris, Austrian Airlines to Vienna, Aeroflot, Nordwind, IKAR, and Azur Air to Moscow, Air Serbia to Belgrade, and British Airways to London.

KLM covers Amsterdam, Lufthansa travels to Frankfurt, LOT to Warsaw, Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, Trade Air to Osijek, Qatar Airways to Doha, and Windrose Airlines to Kyiv.

A total of 19 airlines will connect Zagreb with the five destinations above in domestic traffic and international traffic with 45 destinations in 28 countries.

"We believe that such a good connection with Europe, the Middle East, and indirectly with other destinations around the world, will contribute to a significant increase in the number of passengers and further confirm Zagreb as a true city break destination," Zagreb Airport said in a statement. 

After several months of decline and stagnation of traffic caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Franjo Tuđman Airport gradually recovered through a significant increase in the number of passengers and number of destinations, opening new routes, and weekly growth in the number of flights on existing routes in the 2021 summer flight schedule, compared to the previous year.

In the last part of the summer flight schedule, in early September, Ryanair launched nine new routes as part of the announced expansion and base of the second aircraft in Zagreb, and for the first half of December 2021 announced nine new routes - Dublin, Manchester, Eindhoven, Basel, Malaga, Paphos, Malta, Naples, and Thessaloniki.

At the end of September this year, Flydubai re-launched the route on the route Dubai - Zagreb twice a week, with the announcement that in the winter flight schedule, from December 2021, it will fly four times a week.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 27 Oct 2021 - Zagreb schools are in serious financial problems because the city has been late for months with the payments it owes them as their founder, Jutarnji List daily said on Wednesday.

Due to the budget deficit encountered upon coming to power, the new city administration is evidently at quite a tight stop, and schools are affected, the paper said.

Headmasters have confirmed that the last payment they received from the city for energy was in August to pay the bills for March, for food in September to pay the bills for April, and only this week to cover the material costs of the last month of the previous school year. 

Due to the months-long lateness in the payments, school headmasters fear shut-offs and enforcement procedures. For now, they are using school funds to pay the bills, they say, adding that payments were late in the past as well, but never this late.

"We don't have money even for emergencies... We understand that the city is in a difficult financial situation, but we have a hard time understanding that there is no information on when we will get the money," Suzana Hitrec, president of the Secondary School Headmasters Association, was quoted as saying.

She said secondary school headmasters had met with city officials but were not informed when the payments would become regular.

If some schools have money in their accounts, those are mainly funds for European projects which cannot be used to pay for toilet or printing paper, Hitrec said.

According to estimates, the city should give schools about HRK 10 million a month to pay utility bills as well as for material costs and food, Jutarnji List said.

For more, follow our politics section.

October 26, 2021 - The 2021 Croatia Airlines winter schedule has been announced, while Ryanair has begun announcing even more spring flights from its Zagreb base next year. 

Croatia Airlines has announced its winter flight schedule, which will take effect on the last day of October and run until the end of March next year, reports Croatian Aviation.

Croatia Airlines has thus announced 13 international routes from Zagreb, 3 from Split, and one from Osijek, a total of 17 international routes to and from Croatia.

Lines from Zagreb

Croatia Airlines will have the largest number of flights and weekly flights from Zagreb Airport, its main base. Flights to the following European destinations have been announced:

Amsterdam, 7 times a week, daily,

Vienna, 3 times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,

Brussels, 6 times a week, every day except Saturday,

Dublin, 2 times a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Frankfurt, 3 to 4 daily flights

Copenhagen, 5 times a week, every day except Tuesdays and Saturdays,

London, 4 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,

Munich, 5 times a week, every day except Wednesday and Saturday,

Paris, 7 times a week, daily,

Rome (via Split), 7 times a week, daily,

Sarajevo, 6 times a week, every day except Saturday,

Skopje, 4 times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Zurich, 11 times a week, daily, two daily flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

Lines from Split

Croatia Airlines will operate on three routes from Split Airport to two destinations in Germany and one in Italy; scheduled flights to Munich, Frankfurt, and Rome have been announced:

Frankfurt, 7 times a week, daily,

Munich, 7 times a week, daily,

Rome, 7 times a week, daily.

Flights from Osijek

Croatia Airlines will introduce a regular flight between Munich and Osijek on November 15 this year. Aircraft will operate on this route twice a week, every Monday and Friday. Thus, passengers will be able to continue their journey to 6 European destinations via Munich.

On most routes, the Croatian national airline will use DashQ400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 seats, but in a much smaller proportion than last winter. Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft have been announced from Zagreb to Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Copenhagen and from Split to Frankfurt. 

There will be no regular international flights to Rijeka and Dubrovnik this winter, as before the pandemic. Still, Croatia Airlines continues to operate on domestic routes to Pula, Zadar, and Dubrovnik and PSO routes from Zagreb Airport in the upcoming winter flight schedule.

Furthermore, Ryanair has launched additional departures on several international routes from Zagreb Airport next spring, adds Croatian Aviation.

Namely, the Irish low-cost carrier released tickets for next year's summer flight schedule, including flights from Zagreb Airport, with additional departures on 9 international lines from the new Zagreb base, allowing flexibility for travelers to and from Zagreb.

The following lines have increased from 2 to 3 flights per week: 

Zagreb - Memmingen - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Malta - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Paphos - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Weeze - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Basel - Zagreb (March 2022).

The following lines will operate four times a week instead of three times a week:

Zagreb - Frankfurt Hahn - Zagreb (March 2022),

Zagreb - Gothenburg - Zagreb (May 2022).

Lines to Bergamo and Brussels are in the highest demand, so Ryanair is introducing additional flights on these routes:

Zagreb - Milan Bergamo - Zagreb, from 4 to 5 weekly flights (April 2022),

Zagreb - Brussels Charleroi - Zagreb, from 4 to 5 weekly flights (April 2022).

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 24, 2021 - From the founder of the innovative Secret Zagreb, a fabulous new journey into the hidden gems of this amazing country - meet Croatia Underrated, a combination of podcast, games and quizzes.

One of the things I love about covering Croatian tourism is meeting so many inspiring and innovative individuals from the private tourism sector. The ideas, knowledge and delivery of these individuals promote the true jewels of authentic Croatia, and they are a refreshing breath of fresh air from the fairly predictable and one dimensional approach of the Kings of Accidental Tourism. 

One young lady whose mind is always ahead of the rest of us with her tourism ideas is Iva Silla, of the award-winning Secret Zagreb. Iva has already done much to develop tourism in the capital with truly unique tours such as the Badass Women of Zagreb, celebrating some of the amazing women who have put their stamp on Zagreb's development throughout history. 

Iva is back with a wonderful (and VERY educational) project called Croatia Underrated. Rather than me try and explain it, her she is in her words explaining the Croatia Underrated project:

In recent years, I stopped bothering with the must-sees during my travels. I still make obsessive plans, but I don’t feel like I missed out on something if I don’t do it all. I much rather take a detour and see something less attractive, but far more genuine. I dare you to try a different Croatia. To spice up your must-sees with the unseen. To go places that even the locals often miss. To find your perfect Croatian memory. Croatia Underrated podcast is here to help.

I started Croatia Underrated because there’s so much to do and see all around the country, so many hidden corners to be explored and curious tales to be told… I wanted to share at least some of them. On the other hand, the project started quite spontaneously, when I came upon many poor reviews of Croatian attractions over and over again. Of places that I personally found striking and very special. You can now enjoy my curated list of terrible reviews of Croatian heritage, together with the fun comments as a part of the blog. If you feel those are a bit unfair, you might like the way I see Croatia: as a place of never ending discoveries.

Oh, and when you visit Croatia, make sure to join me on one of my Secret Zagreb tours.

Iva Silla

To learn more about the Croatia you never knew, visit the Croatia Underrated website and podcast.

To learn more about the Croatian capital, check out the TC Zagreb in a Page guide.

October 23, 2021 - Croatian sustainable cultural tourism destinations have been awarded at the 14th International Cultural Tourism Conference held in Athens. 

As part of the 14th International Cultural Tourism Conference in Europe, organized by the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), an award ceremony for the best European destinations for sustainable cultural tourism was held in Athens on October 21, 2021, reports HRTurizam.

The awards have been presented since 2014 to create a platform to exchange experiences and knowledge and promote networking among destinations. The competition is open to all tourist destinations across Europe, and this year's theme was related to the regeneration of European tourism through culture, heritage, and creativity. Therefore, the competition was open to tourist destinations across Europe to showcase their results in sustainable cultural tourism in seven categories.

Among the winners in all categories were representatives of various culturally valuable projects from all over Europe; The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, Germany, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Latvia, and Croatia, with four representatives as best practices of sustainable cultural tourism.

In the Archaeological Sites and Museums as Cultural Tourism Attractions category, 1st place was won by the Krapina Neanderthals Museum and the Hušnjakovo site. The 2nd place in the same category was won by the Lošinj camp Nerezinac project.

The awards were given in five other categories, among which Walking Tourism and Slow Travel - Synergies with Cultural Tourism should be highlighted. The first place went to Rab Archeological races - open-air museum, a project nominated by the Lopar Cultural Center. In the Cultural and Creative Industries category, 3rd place was won by the Chocolate Museum in Zagreb.

"I am extremely honored that the Nerezinac camp is recognized as one of the best examples of sustainable cultural tourism, and I would like to thank everyone who participated in renovating and constructing the interpretation center of the maritime heritage of the island of Lošinj. This year, Croatia has distinguished itself as a leader in cultural tourism with four award-winning projects, and this is further proof that through culture and heritage creatively and innovatively can develop year-round sustainable tourism," said Dalibor Cvitkovic, director of the Mali Lošinj Tourist Board, who accepted the award in Athens together with the author of the project, Ferdinand Zorović.

Nerezinac is a valuable example of traditional shipbuilding. Since 2010 it has been included in the list of protected cultural assets of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. It was restored with the cooperation of many experts from various institutions to local masters, following the example of the Lošinj camps from the end of the 19th century.

Three of the winning projects from Germany and Romania were submitted by members of the ETC, the German National Tourist Board, and the Romanian Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism.

The German National Tourist Board launched a digital social media campaign called Feel Good to promote Germany with reliable and diverse sustainable tourism products. The campaign has direct synergy with cultural tourism due to topics such as local tradition and regional products (arts, exhibitions, handicrafts, regional food, urban gardening, organic restaurants) and the involvement of the local population. Also, visitors were inspired by the use of public transport and various slow travel options such as hiking and biking.

The marketing campaign #WanderlustGermany of the German National Tourist Board addressed nature and active travelers, emphasizing cycling and hiking that are just around the corner from the main cultural attractions or even next to them.

Following the stagnation in global tourism caused by the coronavirus pandemic, studies have found that customers consider the risk of COVID-19 to be a tiny nature-oriented vacation and individual forms of vacation. Accordingly, the campaign focused on a diverse range of products with well-thought-out hygiene and safety concepts and first-class service. Furthermore, through the targeted use of digital communication measures and events in local markets with great potential, the campaign focused on targeted impulses for a fresh start to incoming tourism in Germany.

The Romanian Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism has created a voluntary system for the recognition of national cultural tourist routes, developed by tourism organizations and local public bodies. The initiative stems from the recognition of local potential in promoting historical and archaeological heritage and religious or gastronomic traditions in Romania.

The cultural-tourist route of wooden churches in Romania and the Republic of Moldova is a transnational network that connects villages, towns, counties, districts in which local communities have built their churches over the centuries. It is a remarkable journey into history and local legends.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.